Dial attaching device



DIAL ATTACHING DEVICES Filed Feb. 21. 1940 WITNESSES: INVENTOR Robert H Lewis.

%\ORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1942 tJNi'i STATES P ear orFlcE DIAL ATTACHING DEVICE Pennsylvania Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,136

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to means for attaching an indicating dial to the time dial disc of a time switch. Although not limited thereto, the invention will be found especially advantageous when used with a time switch employed to actuate the changeover of a multirate watthour meter register.

As is well known, timing switches are used to actuate various devices at predetermined times. Such switches generally comprise a clock mechanism or electric timing motor which, through suitable gearing, rotates an indicating dial carrying arms which actuate the devices at the times desired. Because of the space required by these actuating arms and of other structural considerations, it is usual not to employ the last or slow-moving gear of the gear chain as the indicating dial. Instead, an indicating dial carrying the actuating arms is displaced from the time dial and mechanically connected to it to be rotated thereby.

This requirement that the indicating dial be displaced from the time dial disc often gives rise to difiiculty. It has been found that an accurate relationship between the indicating dial and timing disc is difiicult to maintain because of inaccuracies in machining the attaching means, and as a result of the wear which occurs when the device is in service. These inaccuracies are particularly undesirable when it is necessary to remove the indicating dial to adjust the actuating arms or for other purposes, as must be done when the time switch is used in conjunction with a multiple-rate watthour register. The present invention discloses an attaching means which insures that an accurate mechanical relationshipbetween the indicating dial and timing dial will be maintained under these conditions.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved means for attaching a second member to a first rotating member which is to drive it.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for assembling an indicating time dial upon the time dial disc of a time switch.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a time switch embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective View, with parts broken away, of a portion of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawing, there is shown an electric timing, motor -12 which drives a time dial disc or gear 4 through a gear chain 6. It will be understood that the gearing, generally employed is such as will drive the. time disc 4 through one revolution every 24 hours.

Attached to the disc 4, by means of the assembly indicated generally at '8, is an indicating dial It. This dial is preferably similar to that described in U. S. Patent No. 2,186,250, to Lenehan et al., and comprises a dial having an annular groove 12 which receives :sorew members M to support actuating arms indicated at It. These the device of arms carry actuating pins I8, and are located on the dial so that the pins will operate the devices to be controlled at predetermined times. As is also shown in Fig. 1, the dial 4 is mounted free to rotate on a stationary shaft 29 which also extends through the assembly unit 8. A pointer 22 is preferably mounted on the end of the shaft 20 to cooperate with a scale 24 on the indicating dial [9 to indicate the time. i

As is better shown in Fig. 2, the assembly-unit 8 comprises a tube or bushing 26 secured to the time disc and a cooperating stud 28 attached to the indicating dial W. The bushing 26 is concentrically secured to the dial 4 by any suitable means, such as solder. This bushing is preferably of relatively resilient metal, and is cut to form a V-shaped slot indicated at 30 which has its open end at the free end of the bushing 28. The bushing may also be provided with a relatively long narrow slot 32 to impart to it a spring or resilient effect.

The stud 28 will usually be of metal, and is secured concentrically to the rear of the indicating dial Ill by solder or any other suitable means. It is preferably of such size and crosssection as to fit snugly within the bushing 26, and carries an outwardly projecting pin 34 which is arranged to fit within the V-shaped slot 30.

The timing dial 4, indicating dial it, and stud 28 are all centrally apertured to permit the stationary shaft 20 to extend therethrough. In addition to supporting the time dial disc .4, the shaft will also furnish support to the indicating dial l0 and. its stud 28 when the apparatus is in assembled condition.

The advantages of my assembled means will now be evident. The spring effect provided by the slot 32 will cause the bushing 26 to firmly engage stud 28 while the v-slot 3:] receives the pin 34. The indicating dial may easily be asjusting the position of the actuating arms H5 or for any other purpose, it is merely necessary to remove the screw in securing the pointer 22 in place in the shaft. After this, the pointer and izndicating dial may be removed along the shaft While the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, it will be evident that modifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit and scope.

Consequently, the invention is not to be limited except as set forth in the appended claims, interpreted in view of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a time switch, a rotatable disc, a second disc, a hollow bushing concentrically secured to one of said discs, said bushing having a substantially V-shaped slot with its open end at the free end of said bushing, and means concentrically secured to the other of said discs for releasably engaging said bushing, said means including a projection extending into said slot to definitely fix the relative angular position of said discs.

2. In a time switch, a rotatable disc, a second disc, a hollow cylindrical bushing concentrically secured to one of said discs and having two slots starting at its free end and extending over a portion of its length, the width of one of said slots decreasing along its length from a maximum at the free end of said bushing, a stud concen-:

trically secured to said other disc to fit within said bushing in releasable engagement with the surface thereof, means projecting from said stud for cooperating with said variable width slot to limit the movement of said stud into said bushing and fix the relative angular position of said discs.

3. In a time switch, a rotatable disc, an indicating dial mounted for rotation by said disc, a hollow cylindrical bushing concentrically secured to said disc, said bushing having in its surface two slots one of which is substantially V-shaped with its open end at the free end of said bushing, a stud concentrically secured to said dial to fit releasably into said bushing engaging the surface thereof and having a projection for engaging said V-shaped slot to fix the relative angular position of said disc and said dial, a stationary shaft extending axially through the center of said assembly to rotatably support it, said stud being in slidably engagement with said shaft to insure alignment of the axes of said dial and disc, and a pointer removably secured to said shaft to cooperate with said indicating dial.

4. In combination, a first rotary member, a second rotary member mounted to be rotated by said first member in a predetermined angular relationship with respect thereto, a hollow bushing secured to one of said members about its axis of rotation and having a substantially V-shaped slot with its open end at the free end thereof, a stud concentrically secured to the other of said rotary members and extending into said bushing, said bushing having a longitudinal slot extending from the free end thereof to cause it to resiliently engage said stud, and a projection on said stud for engaging the sides of said V-shaped slot to fix the angular relationship of said rotary members.

5. In combination, a pair of rotatable members, a hollow bushing secured to one of said members concentrically with its axis of rotation, said bushing having a substantially V-shaped slot with its open end at the free end of said bushing, and means secured to the other said member concentrically with its axis of rotation for releasably engaging said bushing, said means including a projecting member extending into said slot to determine the relative angular position of said members.

ROBERT H. LEWIS. 

